I'm going to be working as a temp for the next 6 weeks (filling in on a pregnancy leave) and won't be getting home until 6 or later. It'd be great to have a nice assortment of crockpot recipes to try so we don't resort to take out every day for 6 weeks [crazy]

Anyone have any tried and true favorites? Roasts are out, as are most chicken and pork dishes as I'm a vegetarian, but I do like the meatless ground beef substitutes, so ground beef recipes would be ok...

I have a few favorites, if anyone's interested, that I can share as well :)

Split pea soup is great and cheap. Weight Watchers has a fantastic all veggie soup that does great in the crock pot as well... I'll have to dig out my recipe books, but I LOVE crock pot cooking.

love to hear your favorites!

"Choose your friends by their character and your socks by their color. Choosing your socks by their character makes no sense, and choosing your friends by their color is unthinkable."http://RoseByAny.BlogSpot.Com

Can't wait for you all to give out recipes. the weather is going to start to cool off, leaves are starting to change here in sunny Ca. I've put the autumn wreaths on the lamp-posts, digging out the pumpkin candle warmers, changing the table decor- I'm soooo ready for Autumn! Bring on the crock-pot recipes! It's about the only testimonial to Fall you can get here. Sometimes I think I'll SCREAM if I see another day of sunshine. KL

If you like pork chops here is a great one. Place your chops inthe bottom of the crockpot.

Mix a large can of cream mushroom soup with 4 Tbps of worchster sauce and about the same of ketsup mix well. pour over the chops turn on low if your cooking all day and enjoy with mashed potatoes or rice and a verggie.

we also get the pork loins cut them up and they are better and cheaper.

I'm vegetarian, too! I'm also a Sabbatarian and prepare my food the day before the Sabbath. I use the crockpot a lot, because that way, I can cook the day before and still have a hot meal after church.

Crockpot ideas:1. Nearly any casserole can be done in a crockpot. Just put it on low and go. The top doesn't brown as much, and crunchy toppings will not crunch, but overall, it works quite well.

2. Crockpot macaroni & cheese: Cook a pound of macaroni slightly firm. Meanwhile beat two eggs, then add 12 oz of evaporated milk, and 8 to 10 oz of shredded cheddar cheese. You can add salt and pepper if you like, but I usually add this at the table to account for differing tastes. You can also add a bit of nutmeg, which adds a very subtle richness. Mix in the macaroni, put the whole mess in a well-greased crock. (You can do it this far the night before, if necessary - just put the filled crock in the fridge until morning). In the morning, just stick the crock in the pot, turn the heat to low, and let it cook for up to 5 hours. If you'll be gone longer add a couple extra cups of water.

3. Easy Crockpot nearly-gasless pinto beans: (start the night before) rinse and sort 1 lb. of dried pinto beans. Place in greased crock. Add one 14 oz can of tomato sauce, 1 tbsp salt, 2 tsp dried basil, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder (or crush one garlic clove), 1 tsp onion powder (or chop an onion), and 1 tsp each of dried sage, ground cumin, and ground coriander (the coriander is optional). Add water to 1/2 inch below top rim of crock. Cook on high for 5 hours to 8 hours or overnight. In the morning, turn the heat to low, add water if necessary, and cook for an additional 6 to 8 hours. I love this over rice. You can also put it over tortilla chips, and top it with lettuce, tomato, salsa, cheese and any other taco toppings you like (olives and avocados are wonderful) for a meal we usually call "haystacks" (because that's what the shape ends up looking like).

4. White beans with sun-dried tomatoes ~ grease the crock; rinse and sort 1 lb of great northern or other white beans; place beans in crock and add 3 crushed cloves of garlic, 1 tsp salt, 2 heaping tbsp of dried basil, and 1/4 cup of olive oil. Add water to within one inch of crock rim. Cook for 6 to 8 hours on high. Add 1 jar of sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil and 1 10 oz can sliced black olives (drained). Cook an additional 1/2 hour before serving.

5. Crockpot roasted potatoes ~ Cut enough potatoes to fill your crock 3/4 full into 2 inch chunks (or, if you're using baby potatoes, just cut them in half). Place in a large tupperware bowl. Add 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 heaping tsp salt, whatever herbs you like (I use basil, rosemary and oregano - a tsp or two of each), and a heaping tablespoon of dijon mustard. Put the lid securely on the bowl and shake like crazy (children come in handy here) until the potatoes are all well-coated. Dump the whole thing into a greased crock, and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8.

Those ought to keep you fed for a couple days, anyway.

OH - if you have a rice cooker and you want really wonderful flavored rice without much work, just add a stem or two of rosemary (washed, of course) to the rice pot. You haven't tasted rice until you've had it like this! You can do it this way on the stovetop, too, of course.

-WendyMAnd all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen. Exodus 35:25

4. White beans with sun-dried tomatoes ~ grease the crock; rinse and sort 1 lb of great northern or other white beans; place beans in crock and add 3 crushed cloves of garlic, 1 tsp salt, 2 heaping tbsp of dried basil, and 1/4 cup of olive oil. Add water to within one inch of crock rim. Cook for 6 to 8 hours on high. Add 1 jar of sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil and 1 10 oz can sliced black olives (drained). Cook an additional 1/2 hour before serving.

Wendy I am going to try this one, I love sun-dried tomatoes

thanks so much

shaggy

"Whoever was in charge of planning was so detached from the realities of inner city life in New Orleans ... that they couldn't conceive of the notion that they couldn't load up their SUV's, put $100 worth of gas in there, put some sparkling water and drive off to a hotel and check in with a credit card," Barack Obama

The problem I've had finding crockpot recipes is that they all take several hours LESS than I'm gone. I leave the house at 7 a.m., and the earliest I'm home is 5:30 p. By then, virtually every crockpot recipe I've ever seen would be incinerated - most call for 4-6 hours.

Lissa

During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act. -- George Orwell

Even if they call for 4-6 hours, they will NOT be incinerated. They can sit for a long time without burning. There are also crock pots out there that have timers that change it to warm after a set time, so the contents just stay warm but won't keep cooking. I had one, but it got left behind in a move. I want another. It was really great.As for recipes, DH makes a lovely chili. He uses canned beans, a couple varieties (I swear they change each time, so use what you like), canned tomatoes and tomato sauce, a couple pounds of ground turkey (or beef, or substitute of your choice I'm sure would be fine), and a small amount of canned chilis. Season to taste, put in the pot in the morning, eat in the evening. It is really just a "put in what you like" kind of thing. So easy, and quite tasty.

We are but 8 score young blondes and brunettes... all between 16 and 19-and-a-half... cut off in this castle with no one to protect us! Oh... it is a lonely life. Bathing... dressing... undressing... knitting exciting underwear ....(Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Tale of Sir Galahad)

As Brandy mentioned your food will not be incinerated. It is the same concept as a rice cooker. All the restaurants I worked in used rice cookers; they cook at one temp and then use a lower one to insulate and keep the food warm. It's the same idea as boilin water on a stove and then setting it to simmer.

Lissa- My crockpot is by Rival-a large, stainless with 4,6,8,and 10 hoursettings. At the ten hour setting, I've had good luck not having everything completely overcooked. I would'nt do chicken tho for ten hours as it will come out dry even with liquid. I almost always do the 8 or 10 setting. KL

To remedy the overcooked situation (which I have, as well, since my drive is an hour each way), I use a regular household appliance timer like the ones people use for their lights. You have to make sure you get one for appliances (rather than lights) so that wattage is enough, then I just plug the crockpot into it and it starts around 11 or 12 instead of when I leave. I can even have it turn off before I come home, as well.

Thanks for the recipes and keep them coming! I'll try to get some of mine posted this weekend. I have a great mac & cheese one, too, that I'm planning on fixing tomorrow :)

This is a great thread. I've been thinking about investing in a crockpot because I'm so busy with schoool and work, plus I need to eat cheaply (I love leftovers). What size would you suggest for a 1-2 people? Rather, does a lot of open space in the crockpot cause the food to burn or not cook properly? Any brand/store recommendations?

Monkachia-If you love left-overs as we do at our 2 person household, I would go with a larger one. We do chili[my famous recipe],soups and and of course the requisite stews and roasts. The larger one will give us a couple of dinners and a couple of lunches for DH to take to work. I bought mine at Target after looking for just the right size and style. I wanted stainless to go with appliances and the price was good. I would suspect that Wal-Mart would also have a good price on them. The brand was Rival, and I've been well pleased with it. KL

The problem I've had finding crockpot recipes is that they all take several hours LESS than I'm gone. I leave the house at 7 a.m., and the earliest I'm home is 5:30 p. By then, virtually every crockpot recipe I've ever seen would be incinerated - most call for 4-6 hours.

Lissa

During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act. -- George Orwell

That's why my favorite crock-pot recipes are for hard beans. Garbanzo beans, soy beans, kidney and pinto beans, black beans, etc. can all cook for up to 24 hours. As a matter of fact, the longer cooking time is better for them, because it breaks down more of the complex sugars that make them so "musical".

Look for a book called "The Seventh-day Diet". It has a chart for crockpot cooking of most dried beans.

-WendyMAnd all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen. Exodus 35:25

I love crockpot lasagne. You don't have to cook the noodles or nuttin :-)Layer your goods as you would if it regular baked lasagne, using the noodles right out of the box. Set to low and it will be ready when you get home. Plus if you have a breadmaker with a timer , you could set that an hour ahead and have fresh bread too!

MOnkachia, you can also buy a small rice cooker, which works just like a crock pot. That's what I do. I only have about a metre of counter space and don't have room for 10 appliances, so my rice cooker does double duty. The beauty is they come in so many sizes and are dishwasher safe.